


Hope

by Kiki242



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-10-20 10:44:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10660944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiki242/pseuds/Kiki242
Summary: With the Archon defeated and Meridian secured, the job of taming Andromeda has gotten easier but there is so much to do. Luckily Sara has her brother at her side, along with the Tempest crew. She just has to keep hope alive within herself and the Initiative. There is also the task of keeping her eyes on the prize and not on Dr.T'Perro





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had quite a bit of fun writing this and I look forward to continuing this story. Some things to be noted, is that while not tagged, the entire crew will be present in this fic. I am also going to try o write Sara as professional but emotional and Scott will be more emotional casual. Another thing to be said is that I am a Supernatural fan and that will show with how I write Scott and Sara, in regards how close they are, and how they feel about their father. 
> 
> Lexi just struck a cord with me and if I could have it my way, she would be romanceable but I understand her apprehensions and they will come out to be not for nothing.

One word that described Sara Ryder in that moment was tired. Exhausted hit the mark as well. After battling countless Kett, on top of an ongoing onslaught of Remnant, she was completely drained. All limbs throbbed with ache and minor cuts and bruises decorated her face. When she finally boarded the Tempest, she took no time in high tailing it to her quarters and flopping down on the bed, with her arms splayed out and legs daggling from the edge. Sara closed her eyes and exhaled.

While the ordeal drained her, the victory lifted the weight that had been nearly suffocating her for the past year. With the Archon defeated and Meridian claimed by the Initiative, she felt at peace and safe. A happy chuckle escaped the Pathfinder and smiled to herself. For an untrained kid, not worthy of the term Pathfinder, she did a hell of a job. She had done her parents proud.

An alert from the door broke her reverie. Not opening her eyes, she called out “come in”. She assumed that it would be Peebee or Liam or even Drack trying to rouse her to join the celebrations amongst the Tempest crew. But what she got however was a soft, accented “Sara”.

Shivers ran down her spine at the sound of her name, her _first_ name. Hell, from her, the sound of Ryder was usually enough to give the young human chills. After a moment, Sara sat up on her elbows and met the gaze of one Dr. Lexi T’Perro. She gave the asari a lazy grin.

The doctor for her part, noted how Sara hadn’t even begun to take off her armor and that despite being weary, her eyes had a light to them. It was what made her give Sara a small smile in return, “I was just checking in. You’ve been through quite the ordeal”.

The Pathfinder’s smile faltered as she realized where this was going, tests and examinations. “I feel fine, Lexi”.

The doctor frowned disapprovingly, “your face is covered with cuts and contusions, you hit your head a few times, which means there’s the possibility of a concussion, and that isn’t mentioning what interfacing with the Remnant tech- “

“Okay, okay, Lexi, I get it”, Sara cut in indignantly before flopping back in a huff.

Lexi swallowed down the urge to argue of how Sara didn’t get it, of how careless she was, and how incredibly reckless her actions were. Of how Sara did things that made the Asari’s stomach clench with worry and that deep down, Lexi was certain Sara’s luck was bound to run out soon because she pushed it so much. But rather than have an argument that would be in dangerous territory. “I would like to get your examinations done as soon as possible”, she said simply.

Sighing, Sara sat up fully, “you mean like now? Can’t I catch a few Zs first?”

“Not with the potential of a concussion”, the doctor countered swiftly. Sara hesitated for a moment and it looked as though she was going to argue some more. Lexi frowned at her Pathfinder, “now”, she ordered sternly. Sara looked surprised at the authority in her voice and bristled slightly. From what Lexi had gathered about Ryder, she found that the young woman didn’t like being told what to do but Lexi left no room for argument or ego. So, with a huff, Sara stood from the bed and followed the doctor to the med bay.

Once there, Sara sat on one of the beds, while Lexi gathered the necessary supplies for a concussion test. Lexi had her back turned towards the human, and Sara couldn’t help herself. She knew it was inappropriate and completely unprofessional but the tight suit that the asari wore highlighted her figure perfectly and she just had to look. The lapse in professionalism may have lasted for about eight seconds before Sara snapped her eyes up to safe territory. Sara got a hold of herself just in time because as soon as she averted her eyes, Lexi turned towards her.

Sara gave her a tight smile, praying that she hadn’t been caught and that her blush wasn’t as bad as she believed. The doctor looked at her curiously, completely baffled as to why she looked so guilty. Brushing it aside, the doctor walked over to her with a small scanner in her hand. “Despite popular opinion, I am more than a cold and heartless professional. I will just perform a concussion test and let you be on your way. The rest will come tomorrow morning”. She then began to wave the small scanner across Sara’s head as Sara frowned.

“Have you and Peebee been going at it again?”

“No”, Lexi answered, “but she was not the first person to insinuate such a thing and nor will she be the last”.

Sara’s eyes followed the scanner as it went this way and that, front of her face, “then I will once again go against the grain and say that you aren’t cold. You’re just…….” Sara trailed off as she fought for the right way to describe Lexi’s demeanor and attitude towards the crew.

“I’m just what?” Lexi inquired, slightly worried.

“Professional”, Sara settled for finally. “Professionalism doesn’t equate to not caring”.

Lexi smiled softly, finding a bit amusement and comfort in Sara’s attempt to ease her self-doubts. She also found at peculiar how Sara described her. The same could be said for the pathfinder herself. Despite her age, Sara took things with a remarkable amount of seriousness within the field, which quite contrasted to the camaraderie she had with her crew. “The same could be said about you. I believe your formal manner made some Angara uncomfortable”.

Sara shrugged with a smile, “I’m a military girl. Hugging diplomats is a step above being downright icky,”  

A rare chuckle escaped the doctor and Sara warmed, internally, at the sound. The concussion test continued, and thankfully, there was no swelling or injury to the brain. “You’re free to go”, Lexi stated once finished. The Pathfinder yawned and hopped off the table. She bid Lexi farewell before heading off for a much-needed shower and a good’s night sleep.

* * *

 

 Since coming to Andromeda, nightmares had been more of a common occurrence than peaceful sleep. It was something she kept hidden from everyone (except SAM of course), Lexi especially. She didn’t need bad dreams in her psychological profile, nor did she want to appear weak. People of the Initiative didn’t need weakness, the needed hope and Sara was aware of how she was the forefront of that. She had to be the fearless, unstoppable leader. One people could look up to. That is what her father would have been.

But night the Initiative found their new home, Sara slept good, dreamed good. She dreamed of battle that excited her rather than make her stomach turn over and wake her up in a cold sweat, she dreamed of Meridian and _living_ , rather than the death she felt was inevitable, and she dreamed of Scott, up and about and not of Scott never waking up. She also dreamed of blue skin, a smile decorated with a white, thin stripe. She dreamed of hands running through her hair, blue lips on her own, and a soft accented _Sara_.

That was when her eyes snapped open. She immediately closed them once she got her bearings and realized she was all alone, hoping to pick up where she left off but to no avail. She couldn’t go back to sleep at all, let alone return to her dream. Her mind became too busy and noisy. For few minutes, she laid on her back and let herself drown in it. Sara thought how stupid and senseless her crush was, and there were more important things to focus upon, like the work that still needed to be done to make Andromeda home. After a while, she became annoyed with it all and set out to find the one person she could talk to about anything, her twin.

The Tempest was stationed on Meridian for the time being, and Scott was staying on the crashed Hyperion, in their father’s quarters. As she left the Tempest, and made her way over to the Hyperion, SAM spoke up, “Ryder, I believe it is best for you to sleep than talk to your brother. The day ahead will be an exhausting one”.

“I know SAM but my mind is too loud”.

“I was able to see your dreams. They seemed rather peaceful and pleasant, especially the ones regarding your brother and Dr. T’Perro. Your serotonin and dopamine levels increased during those dreams”.

Sara felt herself blush as she entered the Hyperion. She really hated how intertwined her thoughts and functions could be with SAM, at times. SAM spoke once more, detecting her embarrassment, “it was not my intention to embarrass you, Sara but I find your restlessness bizarre, considering your dreams”.

The human exhaled, as she made her way down the corridor, to her dad’s quarters. She tried to find an explanation for SAM, someone still new to existing and experiencing life essentially. “SAM, it’s complicated”, is what she settled for. Finally, she entered the room to discover Scott sleeping, probably still recovering from his ordeal. For a minute, she just watched him, and a emotional ball rose up, in her throat. Her little brother was safe and was on his way to having the home she lied to him about. Her eyes became prickly but she blinked the tears away.

Part of her knew that she should leave him to rest, but she missed her brother. She missed their connection and since he had first woken up, there had been little time to talk. Feeling the need to desperately get things off her chest and revel in her brother’s safety, Sara shook him awake lightly. As soon as he began to wake, she pulled him into a tight hug, letting out a teary “Scotty”.

Still without his bearings, Scott instinctively hugged his sister back but became alert once he heard the tears in her voice. “Sara, what’s up?” he questioned, his voice gruff with sleep. Sara only hugged him tighter and buried her face in his shoulder.

“I really missed you, Scotty,” she finally said. “I was so worried and scared that you wouldn’t make it and I was going to be alone,”

Scott’s arms tightened around his sister in comfort. “You’re not alone, Sara. You’ve still got me, and even if I had died, you would’ve had your crew”, he said softly.

“I love them but nothing can replace a twin, nothing can replace _you_ ”.

Scott sighed and fell silent for a moment, still hugging Sara. “I’m pretty sure that pretty little doctor I saw you making eyes at would’ve made great company”, he smirked, hoping to lighten the mood and get his sister to smile.

It did the trick, Sara laughed and let him go. She wiped her tears away, “Scott, you always know what to say, even if it’s in annoying little brother language”.

Scott smiled cheekily and patted the spot next to him, asking her to join him. Sara flopped down next to him, on the bed, and heaved a sigh. “Need to get something off your chest?”

Sara nodded, “a lot”, she answered with a humorless chuckle.

“Start with the doctor”,

“Completely and totally out of my league”, Sara said hopelessly.

Scott nodded in understanding, and was going to retort when Sara spoke up again, “I know I have bigger fish to fry but since I’ve known her, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her, Scotty. She’s so smart, dedicated, and she cares so deeply. She can come off as cold and reserved but I know she cares. That’s why she works so hard”.

Scott thought for a moment, “I bet she has a thing about not dating patient”.

Sara nodded in retort, “yep, they aren’t her type and she shot me down immediately, with that”. Sara ran a hand through her hair, “and with everything else, Scott, there was so much shit in this galaxy against us, I felt like I could drown in it”.

“But you didn’t”, Scott said softly, as he grabbed her hand and got her to meet his gaze. “You kept your head above water and survived. The easy part comes now”.

“There’s still so much to be done”,

“Yeah, but I’m here now, the planets are viable, and there’s no Archon. The job is basically what it originally was”, Scott explained.

“But there’s no Dad”.

Scott didn’t have a retort for that and a pained look crossed his face, making Sara immediately regret her words. She looked down in her lap, not knowing what to say as well. A strong arm crossed her shoulders and Scott pulled her closer, “losing him hurts”, he began quietly, “but we don’t need him to make Andromeda happen. Look at all you’ve done with just your team, your gun, and hope”.

Sara smiled, “My crew has been my fuel. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them”.

“And another Ryder has been added to the mix and I will be here to help you carry the weight on your shoulders”. Scott was already making Sara feel lighter, just by being there, and with him by her side, Andromeda didn’t stand a chance.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter, with a bit more focus on the doctor. I hope you all enjoy.

Lexi had spent the day evaluating the members of Tempest. It had been countless tests for all members of the crew, which meant countless whining and complaining. To say the least, the doctor was irritated and tired. To make matters worse, the most awful patient in the galaxy, hadn’t undergone all her tests yet. The Pathfinder had been busy dealing with the heads of the Initiative, and working with the other Pathfinders to conjure up the next plan of action. Sara would require even more tests than the others, due to her ordeal of interfacing with the Remnant, without SAM’s assistance. She seemed fine but Lexi didn’t want to take any risks. Some of the biggest killers came without warning and she needed to be sure that their Pathfinder had a full clean bill of health.

Stretching, Lexi stood from her desk and headed to get another cup of coffee. Her eyes needed a break from reading and evaluating all the data, and she needed some caffeine if she was going to finish analyzing everyone’s results before the end of the day. She went into the galley and quickly made herself a cup of coffee. As she was heading out, and the door was beginning to open, she saw red jacket attempting to sneak by, a red jacket that signified the Pathfinder, in her signature wear. Stepping out into the hallway, Lexi watched amusingly as Sara tried to tiptoe into her room.

She cleared her throat, her smirk deepening as Sara froze, her body becoming stiff. “Pathfinder Ryder, you missed your early morning examination,” she called out evenly. Sara for her part, refused to turn around, the tension in her shoulders obvious.

When Sara did turn around, she gave the doctor a nervous smile, “Dr. T’Perro,” she began, “I had a good reason-”

“Pathfinder business, I know”, Lexi cut in. She fixed Sara with a piercing stare, her eyes daring Sara to try and make her escape, “but you do not seem to be busy now.”

Sara’s body deflated and she looked at Lexi pleadingly, “Lexi,” she whined, dropping the formality, “please, I am fine and to just let this one go, just this once”.

Lexi quipped an eyebrow, her eyes becoming colder as she brought he mug up to her lips for a sip, and it was then that Sara could see that there would be no sympathy for her and no escape. “I let you off the hook last night. You _will_ receive your full examinations, at this very moment.” She then turned and made her way to the med bay, without even looking to see if Sara had actually followed her.

Sara did, begrudgingly, follow her example and head to the med bay. As the night before, she placed herself on one of the examination tables. Her posture was slouched in defeat and her face twisted in a look of misery. It became even worse when she sighed and crossed her arms and begun swinging her dangling feet.

The doctor took her profile in, and marveled at, once again, how young Sara was. At the ripe age of 22, she was given the responsibility of thousands of lives, and managed to live up to the challenge. But despite what she had been through in such a short span of time, it hadn’t destroyed her youthful spirit, even if some scars were visible under the bright brown eyes and friendly smile.

Lexi had been in the middle of gathering the tools she needed when she had begun staring at Sara, with  clinical eye. Sara eventually became aware of her gaze and became self-conscious. She straightened her back and got a hold of her legs. She was now uncomfortable, because she wasn’t dealing with Lexi the friend (who she wanted to be much more than that), or Dr. T’Perro her physician, but Dr. T’Perro the psychologist.

The one who analyzed her and could potentially see every fault she had, with a single action. Over their time together on the Tempest, they worked themselves into an easy friendship but whatever comfort was there, flew out the window when Lexi was like this.

Unable to take it anymore, Sara cleared her throat, breaking Lexi out of her lapse. She blinked a few times before turning away, a blush coming on, due to getting caught staring. Fighting off her embarrassment, the doctor gathered what she needed, then preceded to conduct the examination. Nothing was said between the two except questions and answers that were related to the physical and psychological evaluation.

Lexi began to fall back into a bad habit, her walls coming up, and being nothing short of the professional doctor. It wasn’t necessary, her and Sara had become good friends and she usually tried to make small talk during these tests, to make the ordeal more enduring Sara. But the earlier small incident had her on her toes.

Flat out gawking at patients was inappropriate, regardless of friendship. But Sara was intriguing, and proven herself to be quite the distraction. One that Lexi could not afford and with that, there were times around Sara that Lexi couldn’t help but fall back into what she knew and what was safe. She could only hope the cold and distant demeanor that she could adopt did hurt Sara’s feelings or give her the wrong impression. That would put Lexi in the terrifying position of having to explore terrifying territory.

The tests were long and thorough, and it took well over an hour to complete them. Once they were done, Sara had enough of the tension, and decided to speak up about it, “you’re quite that chatter box, doc.”

Lexi looked up from her omnittool and smiled apologetically, “sorry, Ryder, it’s been a long day”.

Sara gave her an expression of concern, brow furrowed. It appeared to be that she was going to inquiry further, but thought better of it in the end. Instead, she offered a friendly smile, “try to get some rest, turn in early,”

“I will consider it.”

Sara didn’t seem convinced, but she didn’t want to push. She stood awkwardly, not sure what to say or do. Finally, she opted to let it go, for now. “Alright,” she said softly, “take care, Lexi”.

Lexi went with her usual, “I’ll be here if you need me.” Then, the Pathfinder left her alone in the med bay.

* * *

 

Lexi did not turn in early, she instead, pushed forward in her work, and continued to analyze the data from everyone’s test, paying special attention to Drack and Ryder’s tests. She worked well into the night, so forth that all other occupants were asleep.

Rubbing her eyes tiredly, Lexi got up from her desk and decided to call it quits for the night. She would pick up where she left off the next morning. But for now, a shower was in order and she very much missed her bed. She went into the crew’s quarters to gather what she needed for a shower. As she did so, the door swooshed open behind her. Surprised, she turned around to come face to face with one Cora Harper. 

Slowly, Lexi closed the drawer she had been rummaging through and gave the commando a curious gaze. Cora, for her part, looked just as surprised to see the asari, “I wasn’t expecting anyone to be up”, she murmured quietly.

“I had been working late”, Lexi explained simply. She then stared blankly at Cora, waiting for her to explain her late turn in. But Cora didn’t seem to have any intention of giving one.

Rather, she simply nodded in acknowledgment of what was said, before moving to her own dresser, to get her things, “You can get the shower first”, she offered, back turned to Lexi.

 “If you do not mind me asking, what were you doing?” Lexi asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

Cora turned around, almost looking sheepish, “I had been working coordinating with some of the commandos from the Leusinia, trying to figure out what would be the best option for the asari that were on the ark. Then I corresponded with Vederia and we started talking. We just lost track of time”, she explained.

Lexi’s face softened and she smiled slightly, “that’s good to hear. Your mentorship of her has been good for you, in the light of things.”

Cora looked down at her shoes, seeming embarrassed, “yeah, she’s a good and talented kid. All she needs is some encouragement,” she then brought her eyes back up, getting over her flusterments, “which I am more than happy to provide, along with a few pointers.”

Lexi analyzed her, and saved this conversation as an important tidbit. Her thoughts on the matter, she wasn’t going to voice now, but the next time it Cora’s evaluation was due, her relationship with the asari Pathfinder was going to be the main topic of it. But for now, she let Cora off the hook and headed for her shower.

The next morning, Lexi was right back at it. She worked diligently to complete analyzing the results, and was making satisfactory progress. So much so, that she would be finish before lunch. In the end, everyone was clear on the front, even the old krogan had passed his exams. But, there were some concerns psychologically wise, with a few members of the crew. Liam was feeling regret over the decision to leave his family behind in the Milky Way, which Lexi contributed to his feelings of resentment of Vetra. Vetra, by the way, was more stressed lately, which dealt with her younger sister, Sid. Sid was a woman and while Vetra saw that, it was still hard to let go, and that in turn had Vetra worried that she would lose her sister.

The worst of all was the Pathfinder herself. The stress heaved upon her by her title was nothing new, but it was complicated by the fact she was refusing to grieve her father properly. With the down time that Ryder would now find, Lexi was worried that Sara would look up soon and realize Alec was gone. The hopeful façade the young woman put on didn’t help matters either. Sara was a naturally optimistic person, but she enhanced this aspect of herself, in order to inspire others. Even though there were times when Sara was drowning in despair and utterly terrified of failing.

The woman in question chose that time to enter the med bay, curious of her crew’s wellbeing after the ordeal with the Archon. The quiet hiss of the door alerted Lexi that she had company, and she was not surprised by who it was. Sara had created the habit of stopping by time to time, curious about her crew, Lexi included.

Sara beamed at her as she came closer. Lexi stood to address her, datapad in hand. Sara opened her mouth to speak but Lexi beat her to the punch. “Before you ask, everyone is doing rather well, for the most part.”

A look of relief came upon Sara’s face, before her eyebrows knitted together, “for the most part?”

“A few of the others have their problems, but it is nothing too alarming, but you on the other hand…….”

Sighing, Sara looked down at her shoes. “There’s nothing to worry about, Dr. T’Perro.”

Lexi frowned at the sudden formality, she wasn’t the only one to shut down when vulnerable. “you are under an incredible amount of stress and you’re still trying to get over your father’s death. It’s not weakness or incompetence, it’s what makes you a person.”

“None of that is relevant, I don’t see what the problem is,”

Lexi looked at her in exasperation and fought to control her voice, “the problem is that you are suppressing everything. Its unhealthy and eventually it will all crash down on you.” Sara was conflicted, wanting to dispute, but the cold truth being thrown at her had her off balance. She kept her head down stubbornly, she refused to allow Lexi to see her inner turmoil. No one ever would, not outside her brother.

“Ryder, I am not worried about you just as a doctor, but as your friend,” Lexi told her softly.

“Like I said,” Sara began stiffly, “I’m fine,” she then left the med bay swiftly. Lexi glared at her back in aggravation as she did.

* * *

 

Lexi’s conversation with Ryder ate away at her for the duration of the day. It interrupted her research and scattered her thoughts. So much so that she became fed up with it all and decided that she needed to vent. That was how she found herself sitting in Dr. Harry Carlyle’s cabin (on the Hyperion), over a bottle of scotch. “I really hate the hero types, Harry.”

The other doctor chuckled as he took a sip from his cup. He sympathized with Lexi, soldiers and marines alike always made the worse patients. He himself had his hands with Scott. He watched as Lexi rubbed her temples and was slightly grateful it wasn’t him assigned to the Tempest.

“You know,” she began, “it probably wouldn’t be so bad if they all weren’t so whiny,”

“You should see her brother. He’s gone so forth as bribery to escape bedrest”.

Lexi’s eyes widened in surprise, “what did he offer?”

“To hook me up with the hot captain of the Hyperion,” Harry answered, using quotation marks.

That was enough to get Lexi to guffaw, “Nozomi would kill him, _and_ you.”

Harry shrugged, “I think it would be worth it, I get to take the pain in the ass with me.”

Lexi shook her head at Scott’s ridiculousness, and how it sounded like something that his sister would pull. The reminder of the Pathfinder made her sigh, and suddenly, her stress was back. She sat back in her chair and sighed, then she gulped down her scotch.

Her demeanor began to worry Harry slightly. In all the years that he had known Lexi, he had never seen her so stressed. Or tired. From what he could see, trying to help the crew with all their problems was taking its toll, trying to keep people alive was hard enough without the high-risk job of exploring uncharted space. “She’s going to be the death of me, Harry,” she said suddenly, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“Ryder?”

She nodded. Lexi then sat up and placed her elbows on the table, she stared down at its surface, deeply musing, “she keeps dying and I am afraid that one day that neither SAM or I will be able to bring her back. There’s also so much that she buries but she refuses to talk to me. I have no idea why.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to appear weak?” Harry offered but Lexi shook her head, declining the theory.

“I’m not one of the masses she looks to inspire, nor I am one she gives her rally cries to. I am a person that she does not have to front with, yet, she does”, Lexi’s brow furrowed in concentration. She had mulled over this conundrum a multitude of times. In theory, Sara should have been open with her enough to talk about her problems. She wasn’t like Peebee, Sara possessed no trust issues, and there certainly weren’t any trust issues between them, personally. Sara put on a façade because she believed she had to, not to protect herself.

Harry had another explanation but wasn’t going to voice it. Lexi was going to have to figure that one out on her own. But he could give her a little nudge in the right direction. “You seem to really care about her.”

The insinuation went right over her head, however. “Ryder is a good friend.” Harry nearly rolled his eyes. Lexi was so clinical to the point of being tone deaf to people, despite being the best psychologist he’d ever met. “She helped me with something that I have always struggled with and I am forever grateful for it.” Harry gave her a strange look, for a long while, and she couldn’t read it. Eventually Harry looked away, and rather than point out the obvious to Lexi, he opted to refill their glasses and continue their quiet conversation, on something non-Sara Ryder related.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is. Lexi is a bit of a challenge to write and I pray that I got her down right. At this point she does have feelings for Sara but isn't really aware and I attempted to show that a lil bit. While this isn't slow burn, I'm trying to make a build of them getting together. As always, please leave a review to tell me what you liked, disliked, and what I can do to improve. Also, stay strong and clear!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter and I decided to go with my gut and incorporate Cora/Vederia. Everyone who commented were positive of the proposition of them so I went ahead and did it. I hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think.

Sara sat in yet another long and dreary meeting. Along with her in the room were the heads of the Initiative and the other pathfinders. The next plan of action was slowly wrapping up and she couldn’t hardly wait. The Tempest had been on the ground for far too long and she was beyond restless. All this time just sitting around and talking allowed her mind to wander far too much for her liking. She focused on painful things, like her failures.

Ryder looked across the to the Salarian Pathfinder, Lumont Hayjer. Guilt floored her to the point she had to look away. She held nothing against the former captain, but his very presence in the room was a reminder of how she played God and decided that Raeka wasn’t worth saving. That would perhaps forever be, one of her greatest sins.

“Ryder,” Sara snapped to attention at the sound of her name. She turned to look towards the head of the long table, meeting Director Tann’s quizzical gaze.

“Yes, Director Tann?” She questioned, sitting up in her chair, correcting her posture. She had enough decency to look sheepish at getting caught not paying attention.

He seemed to frown at the fact of having to repeat himself, “I was asking you what was next for your crew?”

Sara swept her gaze across the room to see that all eyes were on her, the new face of the Initiative. Clearing her throat, she answered, “we wanted to make rounds around the planets, starting with Eos. There’s a large Kett base there and it will need to be dealt with if colonists want to move there.”

“Indeed”, Tann replied, “that does fit with the plan of focusing on the designated planets and considering all things, the brunt of this will fall to you.”

“No, Ryder and her crew needs help. We need to get the others out there to help the workload,” Kesh interjected. Tann turned to her with a frown and Sara could feel an argument brewing.

This time, Kandros spoke, “Kesh is right. It’s too much asking Ryder to do so much of this on her own. We have the arks and the other Pathfinders now, all we need are the ships.”

“Which we are working on but that takes time. I cannot believe I am saying this but I agree with Tann. The bulk of habilitating the planets still falls on Ryder”, Addison spoke up.

“You’re working on ships for us?” came the excited voice of a young Vederia Damali. Ryder couldn’t help but smile at her eagerness. Vederia had been like her, attention going everywhere, wishing to be anywhere else but here. But at the mention of ships, the asari sat up in her chair, attention on the conversation at hand.

“We are,” Tann answered, “with the other ships destroyed in the scourge, we had to start off from scratch but they are a necessity. They won’t be done for some time to come.” Vederia visibly deflated at that.

The Turian Pathfinder, Avitus Rix, had a solution to the ship problem. To him, it was a simple one and as clear as day. “why not ask the Angara for a few ships?”

Hope sprung within Sara. It was a good and plausible plan. Having the others out there would take the heat off her. Not that she needed it, of course, but the more the merrier.

Hayjer hummed thoughtfully, “the request should be granted without hesitation, especially if it came from Ryder. They do seem to be over the moon about her, considering all she has done for them.”

“I could ask the Moshae, to ask the Resistance. I’m sure the request would be even better accepted from her,” Sara offered.

Tann was silent for a moment as he considered it. He didn’t want to push the relationship that they were building with the Angara but a few ships hardly were a deal breaker. It would only be temporary, anyway. “Granted, as soon as you can, talk to the Moshae, Ryder. You all are dismissed.”

The Pathfinders then quickly filed out of the room, but none faster than Sara. She was giddy with excitement and could hardly wait to be back on the bridge of her ship. Just as she was heading to round up her crew, Vederia caught up with her. “You seem to be in quite the rush,” the asari noted as she finally made it to her side. Sara’s brisk pace was a challenge to keep up with.

“Of course, I am,” Sara replied with a bright smile, “I get to be back out there, with my crew, but with my brother in tow this time,” the last part was huge part of her excitement. Scott had been medically cleared, and was now joining her on the Tempest, where he belonged. She had already planned that he would be a part of the ground team that took on the Kett base, on Eos.

“I see,” Vederia replied. She then hesitated, which didn’t go unnoticed by Sara. The human Pathfinder regarded her curiously, coming to a stop.

“Is there something you want to say?”

For a moment, Vederia contemplated her next words, whatever she wanted to say, she came to a decision to keep it to herself, “Its nothing. I will see you around, Ryder,” she then set off down the corridor.

* * *

 

Sara led Scott onto the Tempest’s bridge. She watched the amazement play on his face and smiled at it. “This is incredible, Sar,”

She walked him over to the control panel, and showed him the works of it. As she did, it was a time of the twins reconnecting, falling into the old pattern of things. They had always been close and they knew each other inside out. For Sara, talking to Scott was second nature, like breathing. He’d always been there, even when their father wasn’t or when their mother tragically passed.

While showing him the navigation system, Sara caught him staring at her strangely, “What?”

“It’s just…… I can’t believe what you’ve been up to while I was out of it. I could see Dad doing all this but you as this larger than life hero is mind blowing.”

Sara didn’t take any offense to what Scott said. In fact, if the roles were reverse she’d feel the same. Neither of them seemed to be the leaderish type. They had been fine in a foot soldier role, taking a rifle in hand and heading in whatever direction their father pointed to.

Sara gave a modest shrug, “I’m no larger than life hero, Scott. I’m just getting the job done, at the end of the day, I’m still me.”

Scott had his doubts about that, “are you sure about that?”

That got a reaction out of his sister. He saw a strike of anger flash in her eyes but before she could act on it, the others began to file onto the bridge to report for duty. She sent him one piercing glare before turning to her team with a fake smile. Scott frowned at her behavior but was going to leave it to rest, for now.

“I take it you all are ready to get back out there?” Sara asked her crew.

“You know it, it’s suffocating me to just be in one place for such a long time,” Peebee chimed, some of the others murmured in agreement.

“I gotta say, I am dying to see what the Ryders look like together in action,” Liam remarked.

With the earlier tension put aside, Scott put his arm around Sara’s shoulder and pulled her closer. Something akin of a smug grin playing on his face, “there’s nothing in the universe like it.”

The prospect of being out there with her brother reignited Sara’s excitement, her smile beginning to be legitimate, “we always had the best scores on teamwork field tests.”

Jaal chuckled, “I must let Evfra know that there are two of you”.

“Hopefully, you can soon. We’re heading out of here, ASAP,” Sara stated, she then looked at the group and realized she was one human short.

* * *

 

When Vederia had walked away from Sara in the hallway, she had made a beeline to the Hyperion’s lab room. Some of Meridian’s plants were undergoing study there, which was why that became a favorite spot for Cora Harper. She took an invested interest in the plants, wondering in what conditions they thrived in and if they had the potential to produce fruits and vegetables.

Just as suspected, Vederia found the former commando in the lab room. She had a datapad in hand, reading the information intently. Upon seeing her, Vederia’s heart lurched into her throat and a blush already coming on. She was embarrassed by it, she hadn’t even begun talking to her yet!

Getting ahold of herself, the young commando cleared her throat and called out to her, “Cora,” she said softly.

 The human looked up from the datapad and turned to meet Vederia’s eyes. A smile immediately broke over her face, one Vederia had to return.

“Vederia,” Cora replied, setting the datapad down and making her way closer to the asari. “Is there something you wanted?”

There was something she wanted, actually, there were a plethora of things she wanted. But many of those things she would never have the courage to voice, and so she would settle for asking for the one thing that would set Cora off. “Ryder was getting ready to board the Tempest and I wanted to see you off.”

Cora looked at her in appreciation, happy to see Vederia one more time before taking off back into the stars, “I’m happy you did. It would be nice to talk to you before takeoff. We’re going to be busy wrapping up the other planets, and you’ll have your hands full exploring Meridian”.

Vederia shifted awkwardly on her feet, gathering her courage, “me being busy is part of why I stopped by. I need a favor.”

Ever the good friend, Cora looked at her expectantly, already willing to say yes to whatever it was that Vederia needed. Cora had thought it would be the simple task of getting something, perhaps gathering supplies for a project that Vederia’s people were working on. What she had not expected was, “I need you to find Sarissa on Eos and bring her back.”

Cora did a double take, not thinking she heard the young woman right. She gaped at her, “you want me to what?!”

“She’ll be a huge help to my people. Despite what she did, Sarissa is a seasoned veteran and knows how to rally her people. More than I could ever dream to do,” Vederia quickly went on to explain.

But her explanation offered little comfort to Cora. If anything, it made Cora _not_ want to find Sarissa even more. Hearing Vederia praise that woman left the burning bile of jealousy in her throat. So much so that she nearly choked on it. “You don’t need her pep talks, you’re doing an excellent job as Pathfinder,” she forced out.

“Cora, I need her, she has the experience and the guidance that my people need right now. They need something more than some maiden who is in way over her head”.

The statement stung, Cora had taken a mentor role over Vederia, offered her advice and encouragement, but apparently, it wasn’t enough. Vederia was turning to someone who was a more powerful biotic, more seasoned, and perhaps an overall better commando than Cora could ever dream to be. “You don’t need her, you’ve got your unit, Captain Atandra………” She then trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging in the air.

Vederia had enough sense to guess what Cora had left out. “You won’t be here,” Vederia murmured quietly, staring at the floor, “and nor have you had the impact upon commandos as she has.”

Cora sighed in defeat, feeling herself give into Vederia’s quiet voice and reason. “Vederia, you’re asking for a lot.”

“I know,” the Pathfinder replied guiltily, “but I need this. Do it for me?” she then looked up with desperate gray eyes.

Cora lost herself in that innocent, desperate look. She wanted to be angry with herself for letting Vederia get away with the oldest trick in the book, puppy dog eyes. But she relented in the end, letting out a defeated sigh, “I will see what I can do but there are no guarantees that she will come back.”

It was enough for Vederia. A bright grin broke out on her face and she grabbed Cora by the shoulders, giving her an affectionate squeeze, “thank you, so much, Cora. I know how hard this is for you and I promise to make it up to you.”

Just for a split second, the human allowed herself to think of all the ways she could have Vederia make it up to her before pushing away such thoughts and scolding herself for it. Cora forced herself to smile for Vederia’s benefit, before bidding farewell and heading for the Tempest.

When she got there, she realized she was late. Everyone were in their positions, ready for takeoff. She ran into Sara in the research room. The younger woman looked at her curiously, “where were you?”

“Sorry for being late,” she apologized, “Vederia wanted to speak with me.”

The Pathfinder stood from her leaning position, in front of the research database, she looked even more intrigued, “about what?”

“She wants me to find Sarissa, on Eos, for her,” Cora answered begrudgingly. Just thinking of coming face to face with that woman had her stomach churning.

Surprise and worry intermingled within Sara. Cora had taken Sarissa’s actions involving the original Asari Pathfinder hard. It took some time for her to overcome the betrayal, she still was working through it. “Are you ready to see her again?”

“No,” Cora answered truthfully, “but Vederia made a good case about her presence within the Asari community.”

Sara frowned thoughtfully, wondering if she should leave the task of retrieving Sarissa for the others. But she doubted that they could reason with her in way Cora had potential to. Sara may have met Sarissa for a brief moment, but she got her dose of the woman’s ego. Having the person who denounced her, ask her to come back would play to it. Sara just hoped that Cora didn’t choke on her pride in the process.

“Well if you’re up for it, we’ll split up into two teams on Eos. One team will join me to take down the Kett base and the other will join you to find Sarissa.”

Cora conceded to the plan and then headed off to modify her Asari sword.

* * *

 

Scott hadn’t let Sara’s earlier behavior go. Coupled to what she told him the night the Initiative won Meridian, he was worried about her. He felt like she was only letting him in only so far and the rest was hidden. Trying to figure it out, Scott went around and asked the crew how Sara had been doing. He found out several things, one of them being that there was a level of worry within the crew, and Sara’s bravado did nothing to quell it. The last person Scott talked to was Lexi, and she told him as much as she could without interfering with patient confidentiality.

But that wasn’t enough for Scott and he pushed for more, “Dr. T’Perro, I understand your ethical standards but there must be more you can tell me. If not as her doctor, then as her friend.”

The doctor watched him pace back and forth before her desk. The worry was etched on his face and it put Lexi on edge. It made all her worries the more real and put things into perspective. She thought it over and relented, “I’m worried about her.”

Scott stopped his pacing and looked at her in alarm, “what for? Why?”

Lexi thought it over, trying to distinguish herself from the doctor and the woman who was Sara’s friend, “she’s carrying the weight of the world and she won’t confine in me. Or anyone, for that matter.”

Scott nodded, remembering what Sara had told him, “well I’m here now and I figured she would open up to me. She has a little, but there are some things she’s keeping from me.”

“From what you’ve told me of your relationship, I do believe that she will talk to you. It just may take time.”

Lexi’s prediction did little for Scott. He wrung his hands together worriedly and resumed his pacing, “has she talked about Dad’s death?”

“No”.

Scott had predicted that, Sara hadn’t really touched their dad’s death with him. There was no way she was going to talk about such a painful subject with anyone else, let alone the woman she was falling for. “Specialist Ryder”, Lexi spoke softly. Scott turned to her with a curious eye. “Your sister needs support and I believe you can provide that better than any of us. I understand that this is the first time that she has ever closed you out in any way?”

“Yes, it is,” Scott answered. “She talks to me but she doesn’t _talk_ to me.”

“I believe the excursion to the Kett base will do well for her. Having you with her again has brightened her spirits and I think a mission with you would be even better. She may not start opening to you at first but I believe it would be the step in the right direction.”

Just then, the woman of discussion entered the med bay. Upon seeing her brother with his tense look, Sara became suspicious, “am I interrupting something?”

Scott glanced between both women and decided to make his exit. He knew that if Sara found out about what they had been discussing, she’d lose it. He hoped that Sara would be too distracted with Lexi to come and press him for answers, “nothing, I was just leaving”.

Sara watched as Scott briskly made his way past her, and made his exit. “Is there something you wanted, Pathfinder Ryder?”

Sara’s head whipped in her direction and suddenly, she was nervous. Despite her feelings for Lexi, Sara was hardly ever nervous around her. But this time, she came with her tail between her legs and pride clogging her throat. “Yes,” she then looked down to the ground as she mumbled, “I wanted to apologize for the other day. I snapped at it and it was unwarranted”.  

Lexi’s gaze softened, and she admired Sara’s ability to swallow her pride, “you have nothing to apologize for. It’s natural for PTSD sufferers to be defensive.”

Sara’s head snapped up and it seemed as though she was going to dispute the claim of her having PTSD. But she swallowed her protests down. “Still, you didn’t deserve it.”

“If you assist, apology accepted”, Lexi said with a smile.

Sara returned the gesture but in brighter fashion. She then came closer, ready to tackle the other business in which she came to handle. “The last time I stopped by, I asked you about the others but I didn’t ask how you were doing.”

A baffled look crossed Lexi’s features and she wasn’t sure what to tell Sara. It wasn’t her business to know all that was going on with Lexi or how stressed she was. But the doctor didn’t want to lie completely and settled for a half truth, “I am fine for the most part. A little stressed but nothing strenuous.”

Sara fidgeted a little, not buying what Lexi was saying, “I don’t have much experience with it but I would imagine that being the doctor of a bunch of soldiers can be nerve wrecking”.

“It is but I have my ways of dealing with it, healthy ways that is.” It wasn’t a total lie but it did mask the total truth. Lexi got a feeling that Sara could sense it. It was ironic in a sense; their roles had been reversed and Lexi felt guilty over it. Her own problems were not to be piled upon with all the things Sara was carrying.

“Well, I just want to remind you that if you ever need to talk, I’m here for you.” Sara then left the med bay, a swell of worry building in her stomach, for her doctor.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there's that chapter. I wanted to do a lot here and I had trouble transitioning from place to place and person to person. One thing I want to touch on is that Lexi will and does have her own problems. I think that she has a high stakes job in her own right and I want to display this throughout this fic. Sara is going to be a bit of a hypocrite and does not fully understand just how her actions influence Lexi. She's young, reckless, with a sense for adventure. It's a recipe to make any doctor worried and overworked in some ways. 
> 
> With Vederia, she came off painfully young in the game. Younger than Sara and I always thought that if she got the Pathfinder position, it would be good for Sarissa to still be involved in her growth as a Pathfinder and commando. She is also rather bare in experience and she has yet to build a ego or sense of pride that would inhibit her from asking for help.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long wait. I have been busy with schoolwork and my job. I hope you all enjoy the update. :)

Cora’s hands tightened on her shotgun as she walked under the hot Eos sun. She had been able to track down Sarissa’s position, and discovered that she had not settled down not far from Prodomos.  It was walking distance in fact, which meant that Ryder automatically got the Nomad and Cora, along with Vetra and Drack were left to walk. Which made the situation all the worse, she was hot, thirsty, and about to face her fallen idol.

Misery was already swelling within her stomach, and she was dreading the meeting with Sarissa, and most certainly was not looking forward to the long trip back to Meridian. Huffing, Cora wiped her brow, and wondered how she let Vederia talk her into this.

As if reading her thoughts, the teasing voice of Drack spoke up, “it’s amazing what young fools do in the hopes of getting laid.”

The tips of Cora’s ears tinged pink. She became steadfast in not giving him a reaction. She squared her jaw and continued on her path.

Vetra, however, was having none of it, “it’s a common thing for humans to become whipped by the Asari”.

A growl of frustration escaped Cora, she turned to address her immature comrades, “I am not trying to get laid. I’m simply doing a favor for a friend.” She walked backwards, keeping a withering glare on them.

It only caused them to laugh, “you’re turning as red as a tomato”, Vetra remarked.

“I am not,” Cora retorted, her voice cracking in an embarrassing way. She abruptly turned around, shoulders hunched. The teasing laughter of Vetra and Drack ate at her. She walked faster, ready to get this awful mission over with.

* * *

 

Miles away, the Pathfinder rode in the comfortable, air conditioned Nomad, with her brother and Liam as company. Her overall experience was much more comfortable than Cora’s. She wasn’t being teased or made fun of. Rather, the trio was joking and sharing stories of their younger days.

One story that was told was the time the twins gathered as many fireworks as they could, and unleashed them all in a field. It had been a beautiful sight, which unfortunately ended in the field being burned down, the cops being called, and their tearing them both new ones. At the time, their mom had put the fear of God in them. But now, it was more of a cherished memory of their mother. “Scott’s eyes went as wide as saucers when Mom entered the station. I could hear him shitting his pants”, Sara reminisced, a broad grin on her face.

Scott, sitting in the back, rolled his eyes, “I remember you nearly bursting into tears”.

Liam quirked an eyebrow at her, a teasing smirk playing on his lips but Sara was unaffected. “Correction. I _did_ burst into tears but that was because Mom could never stand to see her favorite cry.”

Scott guffawed, “oh, please. She seemed to be even more pissed at your water works”.

Liam watched the twins go back and forth amusingly, entertained by their banter. But something bugged at him, a question that he couldn’t help but ask, “did you ever try to pull something like that with your father?”

And just like that, the easygoing atmosphere of the Nomad was gone. Sara tensed and Scott looked at her worriedly. Liam felt like a jerk, feeling as though he had said something wrong. “No,” Sara answered simply, “it’s hard to know what works on a guy if he isn’t there enough.” That made Liam feel even more like an asshole.

There was silence after that, and it wasn’t long before the loom, intimidating figure of the Kett base became visible as they drove up a hill.

* * *

 

Cora waited anxiously at the entrance of Sarissa’s hideout. Her stomach was now in knots and was even more tense than before. At her sides, Vetra and Drack stood, not knowing what to expect.

After a moment’s pause, Sarissa Theris opened the door. Her eyes widened in surprise before narrowing in suspicion. “Lieutenant Harper,” she greeted, tone cold.

“General Theris,” Cora replied. A staring contest then ensued, Cora with her shoulders squared and gaze hard, while Sarissa’s face was void of emotion, her gaze icy and calculating.  After a while, Cora’s companions became uneasy. Vetra let out a cough, hoping to ease the tension.

It did the trick as Sarissa’s gaze eased in some degree. “What brings you three here?” she asked, eyeing the three warily.

“I’m here to talk,” Cora said simply, “mind letting us in?”

“No,” Sarissa rejected, “what could you possibly want to talk about?”

A scowl crossed Cora’s face but she wasn’t surprised, considering what led Sarissa to be out here all by herself. She knew what hand she had to play to get Sarissa to listen to them and how to play it. Sarissa had an ego and a genuine care for her people, and that was going to be Cora’s ticket.

“Vederia has requested for me to retrieve you. She believes that you can still be a significant help to your people,”

That caught Sarissa off guard. She scanned the trio’s faces, looking for any signs of deception. Her search came up empty and that seemed to be satisfactory. Sarissa stepped aside and let them in.

* * *

 

Sara popped in another clip into her assault rifle. She peaked up from behind cover before immediately seeking cover again. Just as she did, bullets went flying over her head, missing her by millimeters. “Fuck me”, she growled out.

“Pathfinder, I believe you are being impatient. Wait until he has to reload,” SAM suggested. “He is 20 bullets from emptying his clip.”

20 bullets. Sara was confident she could last 20 bullets. Another spurt of gunfire flew over her head, but this one was much smaller, and that was when Sara made her move. She immediately popped up and shot, hitting the Anointed dead in the head. He fell to the ground with a loud thump. 

Behind Sara, a Destined was attempting to sneak up on her, a blueish fog camouflaging him. She didn’t hear him sneaking up but SAM was aware. He jolted her body, making her refluxes 10 times than of a human being, just as he alerted her of his presence. Sara turned around faster than she ever had in her life, and fire into the blue fog.

She let out a wild spray of bullets, desperately trying to hit him before he hit her. SAM assisted and righted her aim. She did hit her target, but she wasn’t the only one. As he fell to the ground and the blue hue dissipated, her brother and Lam came into view. They stood together with their weapons drawn out, smoke emitting from the barrels. Liam smirked at Scott, “nice shot.”

Scott grinned lopsidedly, “thanks but I believe it was yours that did him in.”

Sara rolled her eyes at the pair and turned to turn off the console she was assigned to. As she did so, SAM spoke up. “Pathfinder, Kett reinforcements are on their way. Hurry to the lower floor. I will be able to lock the door and keep them out”.

The trio did as instructed and sprinted to the floor panel that led to the command center. When they reached the right room, Sara interfaced with the console and the floor opened. They went down the stairs and was met with another wave of Kett forces.

* * *

 

Irritation bubbled in Cora’s stomach as she watched that arrogant smirk deepened on Sarissa’s face as she explained as to why she was here.

“They want me back?”

“Vederia wants you back,” Cora corrected with a clipped tone.

That turned Sarissa’s smirk into a smug smile. She picked up on Cora’s hostility and her uncomfortableness. To be quite honest, she was honored and moved by Vederia wanting her back, but these people would never know that, and she was discovering just how fun it was to toy with this Harper. “That may be even better, my replacement asking for my help.”

A fire incensed within Cora’s eyes but she tampered it down, “she doesn’t need you.”

“Because she has you? A 20 something biotic who doesn’t even have a tenth of my experience?”

Cora was about to retort when Drack stepped in. “let’s all cool it,” he grumbled. He then placed a big hand on Cora’s shoulder, pulling her to the other side of the room, “relax. kid.” Cora looked over to see Vetra murmuring quietly with Sarissa and marveled how this whole situation mirrored a negotiation, with Vetra and Drack acting as advisers.

She huffed, “She’s such an arrogant prick.”

“And you’re feeding her behavior,” the krogan gruffed. Cora looked at him bewildered, not understanding. “I know her type and she will come back, she’s just having fun taking the piss.”

Cora nodded and took a deep breath to reign in her temper. Once she collected herself, she moved back over to the veteran commando. “Despite all things Vederia wants you at her side, because she thinks she needs you,” Cora forced out. She opted to look over Sarissa’s head to avoid her smug expression. “So, will you?”

Sarissa didn’t even think about it before she answered, “I will. It is always an honor to help my people. In _any_ way possible,” Sarissa answered, completely serious. There was something more to her words and Cora caught it when she met her gaze.

Cora stifled down her harsh retort, leaving that can of worms to be opened another day.  

* * *

 

Sara, Scott, and Liam shot their way to the command center. Bullets, biotics, and grenades were flying all over the place. It was dangerous, reckless, wild, the type of thing to give Lexi nightmares. But most of all, it was all out fun. It was the type of thing that the twins would pretend play as kids, the type of thing that made Liam’s personal mission so much fun. In part, that was why Sara chose Liam to tag along. His sense of adventure and carefree attitude would mesh well with her and her brother.

Once again, Sara found herself huddling behind a piece of cover, with her companions on each side of her. They were down to two Anointed, and they were having a tough time flanking the large enemies. They were unrelenting in their bullet splurges. Their clips seemed to be endless, and Sara was anxiously waiting for an opening. “SAM, how many more bullets till the empty their clips?”

“They should be emptying right about now,” the A.I. replied, and sure enough, the shooting stopped and that was when Sara struck. She jumped up and let out a biotic blast, Scott and Liam following behind her with two concussive shots and two grenades. The combination of the three caused a fire explosion, one that had them retreating into cover. The attack did the trick however, and the two Kett were dead. All that was left was interfacing with one more terminal.

The two men stood up first and both hauled Ryder to her feet by the hand. They both gave a harder tug than necessary, sending Sara skyrocketing to her feet. The movement jostled her, and she gave them both an annoyed glare, to which they chuckled at. She rolled her eyes at them and made her way over to the last terminal.

Sara was going to interface with the terminal when an idea struck her. She turned and met the gazes of her companions. Her irritation melted away and her features softened into a smile. “Care to do the honors, little brother?” she offered, motioning to the terminal.

Scott reacted first in surprise, before a broad grin crossed his face. It may have been something small and minimal, but it was cool, getting to be the one to close the mission out. It was cheesy and perhaps childish but it all connected to the heroics they had been up to as kids. It took him no time to cross the space and reach the terminal.

* * *

 

Cora smiled as Vederia’s face came onto the vidcon. The low sizzling anger that Cora had been carrying since retrieving Sarissa dissipated slightly, Vederia’s bright eyes uplifting her.

Vederia returned her smile, feeling hopeful in hearing from Cora so early. “Cora, I hope you come with good news?”

“I do. Sarissa has agreed to return.”

Vederia’s smile turned into a full-blown grin and it made dealing with Sarissa worth it for Cora. What was it to deal with an insufferable, arrogant prick if it made one of the purest souls in the universe happy?

“That’s wonderful, Cora. I am truly thankful.”

Cora shrugged modestly, “it was nothing and you are welcome.”

“I only hope she wasn’t too troubling,” Vederia spoke, knowing how irksome Sarissa could be with certain people.

A light chuckled escaped the blonde, “she’s a bona fide asshole.”

“Cora,” Vederia admonished.

“It’s not like I’m wrong. I bet she’s nearly suffocated you too, with her ego,” Cora replied with a teasing smile tugging at her lips.

The young commando opted not to indulge her, shaking her head at Cora’s petty behavior. “Just ensure you two do not tear each other apart before you return.”

“I can’t make any promises but I will try to behave,” Cora joked.

A smile ghosted Vederia’s face as she ended the vidcall, “See you later, Cora.”

Once the hologram dissipated, Cora headed off for a shower and her bed, wanting to turn in early. Once she finished her shower, she made her way to the barracks, where she discovered Lexi, who seemed to have had the same idea, as already she was tucked in her bunk bed.

“You all of people, is turning in early?” Cora questioned, clearly surprised. Lexi opened her eyes to meet Cora’s brown ones.

“My sleeping habits have been rather poor as of late, and it’s something I am enforcing onto myself,” Lexi replied simply.

Rather impressed, Cora retorted, “that’s quite the self-assessment.”

“Hardly,” Lexi replied drily. Lexi had a tendency to get lost in her work, as she had with medical evaluations of her team, but with them done away with, she could work on getting a good sleeping schedule again.  

Cora yawned before climbing into the bunk directly under Lexi’s. She got herself comfortable and under the covers, before Lexi spoke again. “Why are you going to bed so early?”

The former commando heaved a big sigh and rested her head on her hand, as she stared up at Lexi’s bed. “I had a long day.”

Lexi stayed silent for a moment, mulling over Cora’s reply. “It is rather admirable of what you’re doing,” Cora could hear a certain tone in her voice, and prepared herself for a psychological evaluation, but none came.

“Thankyou.”

“I would advise you to stay away from Sarissa, from what I have heard, she is bad for your blood pressure,” Lexi joked.

The commando actually chuckled, and heard a resounding one from the doctor, “I’ve said it several times today and I will say it again, she’s an arrogant asshole.

Though, Cora could not see it, Lexi rolled her eyes, “the lot of you are arrogant, soldiers and marines.”

Cora frowned, finding some truth in her words. Even their young and uncertain Pathfinder could toot her own horn from time to time. Back in her commando days, there was always a certain amount of competition amongst her sisters, everyone trying to best each other, whether that be in training or in the field. It simply came with the territory of being a warrior.

They both fell silent for a while, each deep in their thoughts. The silence spanned on for a long enough time that Lexi began to drift off to sleep, that is until Cora’s voice roused her. “Vederia isn’t,” she said quietly.

The doctor’s eyes fluttered open and she was slightly confused, the mugginess sleep already begin to seep in, “she’s not what?”

“Arrogant,” Cora answered. She stretched as a sleepy sigh escaped her, and let her heart show on her sleeve in a more visible manner, “she’s very humble and its really endearing.”

Being on the verge of sleep made Lexi open up in a way, and even be more honest with herself than she ever would be in the light of day. “So is Ryder.” It was remarkable as to how Sara kept her head deflated, despite being marked as the hero and savior of the Initiative. Lexi couldn’t help but admire her for it.

The small comment caught Cora off guard. It wasn’t the words themselves but the way Lexi said them, almost as though she adored Sara for her modesty. She wanted to question Lexi about it, but didn’t want to infringe on territory in which she was unwanted. Another sleepy sigh left her and she voiced a more safer thought, “but not as much as Vederia. Which is surprising, considering Vederia being Asari and all, she has a predisposition to arrogance.”

The doctor smiled at the jab and opted not to retort before bidding Cora goodnight and falling asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is. I had this idea to bounce back and forth between the two teams, I think I may have been subconsciously inspired by some move, idek. I also wanted to separate Sara and Lexi in this chapter, they have interacted with each other in all the other chapters and I want them to stand on their own. I will work on that even more when it pertains to Lexi. This chapter was also used to flesh out the relationship between Sara and Scott, showing how they bring out their inner child, Liam is also a character that I find that has that similar spark to him.
> 
> Antee ways, please leave a review telling me how I can improve and what you liked and didn't like.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there it is. I hope you all enjoyed and please leave a review. Tell me what you liked, what you didn't and what I can do to improve. :)


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